Time for healing of the Brexit schism

Roger Chapman (Chronicle, 7th January) totally misses the point when he criticises the recent trade deal as being less advantageous than remaining in the EU Single Market.

Quite so! Regaining our carelessly discarded sovereignty inevitably came at a price but what a wonderful bargain given that our sovereignty is priceless!

Roger should instead be comparing the trade deal with the WTO Tterms alternative (the so-called “No Deal”).

The latter was successfully demonised by the Re-joiners.

Consequently a trade deal became politically desirable as the best hope of reuniting the divided country, regardless of how individuals voted in 2016.

The weaknesses in the trade deal (e.g. exclusion of most of the services sector and the inappropriate inclusion of fishing) can be primarily laid at the door of the diehard Remainers in the previous parliament.

Also it was a great misfortune for the UK to suffer 2 wasted years under an “Anyone but Boris” prime minister, sadly way out of her depth in the top job, and ineptly presiding over the appeasement of a continental bully and a heavily proRemain parliament.

Thanks to these twin handicaps, a strong UK negotiating position was irretrievably surrendered.

Having inherited this busted flush, the new government ultimately managed to confound its doom-monger critics by re-negotiating the Withdrawal Agreement and agreeing an acceptable trade deal that does not compromise UK sovereignty.

Well done Boris! Also great credit goes to the negotiating skills of Lord Frost, in whom the wily M. Barnier finally met his equal.

Given the massive post Covid economic and constitutional challenges that lie ahead, it is time for healing of the Brexit schism. This will best facilitate the promised early levelling up of the neglected parts of England and the defusing of the Scottish nationalist surge.

The toxic societal divisions and disgraceful events across the Atlantic are a wake-up call for democracies everywhere.

Roger White

Bath